Rehabilitated Asutifi District Magistrate's Court inaugurated

Kenyasi(BAR), July 4, GNA - The rehabilitated Asutifi District Magistrate's Court at Kenyasi in the Brong-Ahafo Region was inaugurated on Friday. It cost GHC77,534.

Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, Chief Justice, inaugurating the court, urged Ghanaians to insist on their rights when seeking justice and not succumb to the demands by judicial officials. She said available records indicated that the public became disappointed about the conduct of some judicial officials who extorted monies from them before dispensing justice. "Corruption should not even be mentioned among you as people who dispense justice," she stressed.

Mrs Justice Wood admonished officials of the judicial service to live above reproach and discharged their duties with a clear conscience for the public to have the confidence and trust in the system. She appealed to the judiciary to live up to expectation by working with integrity, transparency and accountability to meet the aspirations of the people.

The Chief Justice implored members of the Ghana Bar Association to complement efforts of the Bench in ensuring speedy and fair trials particularly in Kenyasi.

She urged the people to subscribe to the Alternative Dispute Resolution concept, which promoted out-of-court settlement of disputes, "in order to ease the financial burden as well as saving quality time and cost in trudging to the courts daily to pursue justice". Mrs Justice Wood appealed to traditional authorities to assist in the realisation of the national vision in dispensing justice quickly by releasing some of their prime lands to the service. She said such efforts could assist the service to establish land banks, so that in collaboration with the chiefs and the district assemblies could establish courts and provide suitable accommodation for members of the Bench.

Mrs Justice Wood expressed gratitude to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government for initiating the project, the management of Newmont Ghana Limited, whose royalties and assistance from the Asutifi District Assembly contributed to the project.

Mr Eric Addae, Asutifi District Chief Executive, urged staff of the court to maintain the project especially with the establishment of a mining company in the area with the emergence of social and economic problems such as the large influx of migrant population, drug abuse, insecurity and immorality.

He noted that in view of recent events and developments in the district, it was imperative that the court be upgraded to a high court because of the mining activities and its problems. Mr Addae on behalf of the traditional authorities and the assembly pledged their unalloyed commitment to support the upgrading. He appealed for the rehabilitation of the main road from Tepa to Kenyasi, because of its immense economic importance with regard to food production in the area.

In another development Mrs Justice Wood inaugurated the Jaman South District Magistrate's Court at Drobo also in the Region.